Three still in hospital after crash

The Daily Inter Lake

The three occupants of one of the cars involved in a Wednesday night collision at the intersection of West Reserve Drive and Cheery Lynn Road remained hospitalized Thursday.

Driver Kaylen Jongeling, 22, and passenger Margaret Hawe, 21, were in stable condition at Kalispell Regional Medical Center late Thursday. Passenger Nathan Salois, 23, remained in critical condition.

The trio's white Toyota Camry was eastbound on West Reserve Drive when it collided with a Toyota pickup attempting to make a left-hand turn from Cheery Lynn Road onto West Reserve Drive, said Montana Highway Patrol trooper Ed Sievers.

The driver of the pickup, Kris Temple, 35, was not injured severely enough to be admitted, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

The collision occurred at about 8:20 p.m.

The Camry crossed the westbound lane of traffic and ran off the road while the pickup spun around and leveled a utility pole, eventually ending up in a ditch on the south shoulder of West Reserve Drive, losing its topper.

Firefighters extricated two people from the Camry by removing the car' roof.

Alcohol consumption by both drivers, and excessive speed by the Camry were factors in the crash, Sievers said.

No citations had been issued as of Thursday.

The Evergreen Fire Department, Montana Highway Patrol, Three Rivers EMS, Kalispell Fire Department, and Flathead County Sheriff's Office all responded to the scene.